BJP and NDA have set target of abki baar 400 in the 204 Lok Sabha polls. And Delhi votes on May 26 in the sixth phase on all the 7 Lok Sabha seats . For the BJP it is the pressure to maintain their juggernaut in the capital 7-0 . In two previous elections in 2014 and 2019 the score-line was the same for the BJP .
Can the BJP score a hat-trick this time in 2024?. The party has campaigned on the success of the Modi government and the achievements in the last 10 years while reaching out to the voters.
And much to the surprise of the political pundits – BJP dropped four of it’s sitting MP’s from the 2024 Lok Sabha battle. Former India cricket team opener and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir cited his cricket commitments and pulled out and thus ended his brief political innings . The BJP top brass then dropped – Ramesh Bidhuri (South Delhi), Meenakshi Lekhi (New Delhi), Parvesh Sahib Singh (West Delhi) and Dr Harsh Vardhan (Chandni Chowk) .
BJP named daughter of late foreign minister and stalwart Sushma Swaraj , Bansuri Swaraj as candidate form the high- profile New Delhi seat. Manoj Tiwari vs Kanhaiya Kumar battle in NortnEast Delhi is eager awaited . Many have suggested a close – contest in the offing.
The Battle lines are drawn in Delhi :
New Delhi : Bansuri Swaraj vs Somnath Bharti (AAP)
North East Delhi : Manoj Tiwari vs Kanhaiya Kumar (Congress)
Chandni Chowk : Praveen Khandelwal vs J P Agarwal (Congress)
North West Delhi: Yogender Chandolia vs Udit Raj (Congress)
West Delhi : Kamaljeet Sehrawat vs Mahabal Mishra (AAP)
South Delhi : Ramvir Singh Bidhuri vs Sahi Ram Pehelwan (AAP)
East Delhi : Harsh Malhotra vs Kuldeep Kumar (AAP)
In an attempt to break the BJP hold in the capital , The Congress party and AAP have stitched together an alliance after several deliberations . Congress contesting three seats while AAP 4 seats .
There was furore over the Congress alliance with AAP with Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely switching over to the BJP expressing his unhappiness over the deal sealed .
For AAP the polls are a litmus test and a battle for survival . The party has been mired with controversy one after another beginning with the e Liquor policy scam – Several of its leader’s are behind bars – former health minister Satyender Jain and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia .
Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal is on interim bail till June 1, 2024. Kejriwal was earlier arrested by the ED on March 21, stirring controversy and raising eyebrows across political circles. SC even questioning ED the timing of the arrest. Kejriwal had apparently ignored 10 summons by the ED .
Earlier AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh too was arrested but was granted bail by Supreme Court after six months.
If the liquor gate was not enough making the matters worse ahead of the polls was the dramatic assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal aide Bibhav Kumar. The assault gate has put the party on the back- foot as the shocking details on Maliwal’s FIR came out in public domain.
Will BJP’s gamble of replacing four MP’s pay off or will there be sympathy for Kejriwal over his arrest and his claim that BJP is scared of AAP and aims to finish the party? . These are the questions the public will answer as the results come out on June 4. Till then watch this space . The Delhi Dangal could not have been more interesting.
